Rock legend Gene Simmons, a notorious stickler for anything drug-related, has finally crossed over to the dark side.
Or, more accurately, the green side.
Invictus, a Canadian cannabis and fertilizer company, announced on Monday that Simmons will serve as the Chief Evangelist Officer of their rapidly expanding business.
Changing His Tune
Throughout his illustrious career, Simmons has been a traditionalist when it comes to mind-altering substances. But much like the majority of Americans today, Simmons has changed his view when it comes to cannabis.
So much so, that he is now tasked with the responsibility of building the Invictus brand as it attempts to gain traction in the soon-to-be competitive Canadian cannabis industry.
Following several initial roadblocks, recreational marijuana is expected to be fully legalized in Canada sometime in the fall of 2018.
Invictus’ chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Kriznic believes Simmons’ worldwide popularity and track record of successful marketing will help launch his company to new heights.
“Gene Simmons is a branding and merchandising genius, who not only created one of the most iconic bands of all time but has spent decades building successful brands internationally in various industries,” Kriznic said in a statement.
“Gene will lead marketing initiatives that will help spread the positive messages that dwell at the heart of Invictus in accordance with the strict regulations of Health Canada’s Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations, the Food and Drugs Act and the Narcotic Control Regulations.”
In addition to co-founding the wildly popular rock band KISS, Simmons has launched several other successful business ventures.
These include the hit celebrity reality television show, ‘Gene Simmons Family Jewels’, his own soda brand, ‘MoneyBag Sodas’ and the global restaurant chain ‘Rock & Brews,’ amongst others.
So is “The Demon” getting behind products like moonrocks now?
According to Invictus’ press release, some of Simmon’s responsibilities will feature “marketing counsel, serving as a spokesperson in the media, public appearances and participation in the Company’s annual general meeting and investor meetings.”
According to the rock legend, the decision to join Invictus required his due diligence, but once he thoroughly reviewed the opportunity, Simmons realized it was a relative no-brainer.
“Values and family are very important to me, and when I first connected with Dan at Invictus, I understood immediately that we enjoyed a shared passion for these key life foundations,” Simons said.
“Instead of launching straight into business, we talked about the things that matter the most.”
Final Hit: Anti-Drug Rock Star Gene Simmons Has Entered The Legal Weed Industry
Despite some of Simmons’ drug-related remarks in the past, the stigma surrounding cannabis has drastically changed over the years.
So much so, that Canada is doing everything in its power to de-stigmatize the plant, including strictly referring to the plant as cannabis, rather than its prohibition-induced connotation, marijuana.
In a market that is expected to top $4 billion by 2021, the decision to join the rapidly expanding industry should prove to be a prudent one.
And if Simmons’ defection to the legal weed market doesn’t prove that cannabis should not be considered a harmful narcotic, we don’t know what will.
